JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The demand for food assistance is rising as data from ALICE shows that more than 38% of Northeast Florida families struggle to make ends meet despite growth in wages.
Lutheran Social Services in Jacksonville is trying to meet that demand for residents.
“We try to offer a range of services to the community that span immediate needs like food, and that’s why we have our food pantry here, which is open five days a week from 10 a.m. until noon for anyone in need. Anyone can come once a month,” Jennifer Barrett of Lutheran Social Services said.
The increased need can likely be attributed to higher food and housing costs. Since the pandemic, food prices rose by 25%, and local families are feeling the pinch so they’re coming to places like food pantries for help.
“The numbers just seem to go up every year, they started going up in 2020 with COVID but they’ve increased every year since then,” Barrett said. “Right now, we’re serving on average 2300 families a month.”
Wages for the lowest-paid jobs in Florida continue to rise but still--nearly 40% (38.7%) of households in Northeast Florida are living paycheck to paycheck, according to the latest ALICE report from United Way.
Age is also a factor in financial hardship, with 63% of individuals under age 25 and 49% of people over age 65 struggling to make ends meet.
“These are individuals who are asset limited income constrained, but employed,” Coretta Hill, Chief Operating Officer of United Way of Northeast Florida said. “These are individuals who are working and still don’t quite have enough to survive on our household budget.”
Hill said people who are living paycheck to paycheck are living stressful lives and the increased cost of living can be attributed to the the impacts of COVID.
If you need assistance, United Way’s 211 services are available 24/7. Dial 211 and a specialist can help connect you with social services, free of charge.
“This is an information and referral service that’s provided for our entire community. Those who call United Way 211 will have the opportunity to receive referrals from organizations that have resources, perhaps that could help them,” Hill said.
With more people turning to local food banks for help, there will be fewer donations.
Lutheran Social Services is always accepting monetary and non-perishable food donations.
Click here to donate.